1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to nuclear reactors and more particularly to an apparatus for removing spent fuel from a liquid metal cooled nuclear reactor.
2. Description of the Prior Art
In any nuclear reactor which is intended to operate over an extended period of time such as a reactor which is to be utilized for the generation of electrical power, the reactor facility should be constructed for removal and disposal of used or spent fuel elements and for refueling of the reactor with new fuel elements. Such installations generally include reactor vessels having one or more access ports enabling insertion and removal of fuel elements and other equipment. In addition prior art installation have included some form of temporary storage facility, within the reactor vessel, adjacent the core, for new fuel elements which are to be loaded into the reactor core and for spent fuel elements which are removed from the core. In order to provide such a facility it is necessary that the reactor vessel be made considerably larger than the core, an expensive requirement. Such installations also generally require a plurality of fuel transfer cups in which spent fuel elements are temporarily stored until a separate machine is used to remove them from the reactor. This removal cannot take place until the fuel assemblies have cooled considerably or, alternatively, the separate machine must be provided with a heat removal capability.